Anonymous #084

Submitter information

Name

Anonymous #084

Where are you located?

Australian Capital Territory

What type of area do you live in?

Metropolitan

Are you an education professional?
(e.g. teacher, school leader, learning support assistant, teacher’s aide)

Yes

Which sector do you work in?

Secondary

What is your occupation?

Teacher

Elevating the profession

The actions proposed recognise the value teachers bring to students, communities and the economy.

Would you like to provide feedback about these actions?

Improving teacher supply

The actions proposed will be effective in increasing the number of students entering ITE, number of students completing ITE and the number of teachers staying in and/or returning to the profession.

Neither agree nor disagree

Would you like to provide feedback about these actions?

A significant barrier for a lot of education students is the expense incurred to complete practical placements. For most, they exhaust their annual leave and need to take unpaid leave to complete these course requirements. Financial support during these periods would reduce the amount of time it takes these students to complete their studies.

Strengthening Initial Teacher Education (ITE)

The actions proposed will ensure initial teacher education supports teacher supply and quality.

Would you like to provide feedback about these actions?

Maximising the time to teach

The actions proposed will improve retention and free up teachers to focus on teaching and collaboration.

Somewhat agree

Would you like to provide feedback about these actions?

Teachers and executive teachers spend a lot of time completing administrative tasks that do not require teaching knowledge or experience. Employing administrative staff costs the school extra money and they work specific hours. Teachers are an endless source of free hours for management, there is no incentive to employ administrative staff to do these jobs when they can just be passed along to teachers. A concrete expectation of expected hours of work and a format for teachers to be able to claim overtime would ensure schools would actually employ administrative staff to complete this work and reduce the expectations of 'extra' work on top of teaching.

Better understanding future teacher workforce needs

How effective are the proposed actions in better understanding future teacher workforce needs, including the number of teachers required?

Would you like to provide feedback about these actions?

Better career pathways to support and retain teachers in the profession

The proposed actions will improve career pathways, including through streamlining the process for Highly Accomplished and Lead Teacher (HALT) accreditation, and providing better professional support for teachers to retain them in the profession.

Somewhat agree

Would you like to provide feedback about these actions?

I have recently left the teaching profession after 12 years. I really don't see anything in this plan that would encourage me to go back. Even with a HALT accreditation, the pay is significantly below what I can earn elsewhere as a trainer or consultant, not to mention I work in a place that is physically clean, is not violent and I'm paid for the hours I work. There was no career progression for me in teaching. The options are very limited, I am unfortunately in the ACT where the workforce is small and nepotism for management positions is rife. I reached the maximum pay rate years ago, being experienced just means I'm given additional admin tasks. I genuinely consider teaching to be a dead-end career. I was an excellent teacher, a leader in my area, but teaching as a profession does not value experience, specialisation or expertise in particular areas. Why are there no specialist knowledge positions?